Etsy's Handmade Blog
Handmade Portraits: Woodmouse
Story by weirdwolf, woodmouse
Published on December 5, 2008 in This Handmade Life

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(music by Lineland, Jukeboxer)

Toymaker Amber Dusick aka woodmouse has her wood shop in her garage in downtown Los Angeles. After the birth of her son, this one time farm girl from Wisconsin became nostalgic for the toys from her past: simple, natural toys that would inspire creativity and imaginative play, made from materials that wouldn't stick around in a landfill for thousands of years.

After years of silversmithing, throwing pottery and drawing with pen and ink, Amber finally found her medium in wood. Using sustainably harvested woods, non toxic paints and beeswax along with her wood burning tool, Amber was able to transfer the look and feel of her previous pen and ink drawings to wooden toys. 

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See more posts about the CPSIA issue!

Woodmouse, founder of the Natural Kids Team, is an ardent advocate of sustainable toys. The materials used are all natural and her toys are 100% compostable. Her imagery is reminiscent of of a child's crayon drawing come to life in wood.

Amber, like other Etsy toy makers and sellers of children's items, is fearful that as a sole proprietor she will not be able to afford the stricter regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA); the cost of testing and certification is likely beyond her means.  She told Etsy, “I'd be more than happy to have each of my toys tested, if it wasn't so cost prohibitive. It is the COST involved in testing that will shut us down, it isn't that anyone refuses to have their work tested." The CPSC recently proposed a 1 year delay of required testing and certification, in part because of artisans were able to get their voices heard. But this means we need to use the coming year to write to our Congresspeople. Click here to see the latest on the CPSIA & find out what you can do to prevent artisans from being put out of business.

Handmade Video Portraits | More on the Natural Kids Team

Handmade Kids Series  | Baby Gift Guide | Children's Gift Guide

Tags Amber Dusick, California, Earth Tones, eco-friendly, Handmade Kids, Handmade Video Portraits, Jukeboxer, Lineland, Los Angeles, moms, mothers, natural, natural kids team, naturalkids team, shopping, sustainable, Tara Young, THIS HANDMADE LIFE, Toys, video, waldorf, weirdwolf, wooden, wooden dolls, woodmouse, wood toys, woodworking
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82 comments     Login to add your own!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. littlebrownpen

I absolutely love wood mouse! This is great.

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. julieincharge

Great video and a wonderful glimpse into Woodmouse's process!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. daniellexo

Beautiful work - love the Natural Kids Team!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:43 p.m. loulouandoscar

I love Woodmouse's work. I felt the same way after my son was born and started making my creatures. Inspiring video!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. tylr

Woodmouse is one of the cutest shops!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. littlesaplingtoys

Thanks for sharing your inspiration and process.

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. BluCille

Wow! Toy making is awesome. I always wanted to learn how to do that. Really neat items!
FREE SHIPPING in my shop with the purchase of any two or more items, no limit!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:59 p.m. flyingzoo

very beautiful portrait!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. vaivanat

Great Video.. I have tears in my eyes and love in my heart ..

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. backwoodsophisticate

This is such an awesome video! I love woodmouse's shop and it is so cool to get to hear and see her on video.

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. jessicajane

lovely portrait :) thanks for sharing!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. littleloveblue

awesome! i really liked that! it spoke to my own thoughts on toy making and mothering. great job:)

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. Nishale

Great!!!!!!!!!!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. Shauneil

I think I just fell a little bit in love! ;)
Great video....love seeing the process and knowing the "why".....your toys look fabulous. Thanks, woodmouse, for sharing your story!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. weirdwolf

I truly love Woodmouse's toys. Simple, beautiful and playful. Visiting Amber's house was like going to Woodmouse heaven. Handmade colorful wooden toys everywhere!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. timesandchimes

Oh how fabulous! I love the simple, heart-felt goodness of her toys and of all the items shown! What a great article!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. katiearms

woodmouse warms my heart!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 3:21 p.m. aisle3studio

great Chanukkah playset!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 3:27 p.m. mosey

go woodmouse!!!!!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. beautifulbridget

oh my gosh, the wooden bulbs are to DIE for!!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 3:54 p.m. TheSingingBird

congrats woodmouse! yay naturalkids team too! :)♥

Dec. 5, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. christinececelia

How cute!!!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 4:52 p.m. woolcomesalive

How wonderful!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 4:52 p.m. woodmosaics

Very nice.

Dec. 5, 2008 at 5:05 p.m. gnomefulthings

I always love seeing the space others work in. You do such a great job!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 6:26 p.m. LittleElfsToyshop

Wonderful, way to go Woodmouse. ^_^ *hugs*

Dec. 5, 2008 at 6:28 p.m. dmollison

Woodmouse toys are absolutely, hands-down, fantastic. I love her style. Way to go Amber!!!!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 8:06 p.m. DoSiDough

Fantastic!! Thank you! :)

Dec. 5, 2008 at 8:18 p.m. cozycottagecreations

Yeah Amber!!! This video is so fabulous! I love getting a peek into your life ~ you're a great spokesperson for natural toys! Thanks for all that you do and for putting your beautiful work out into the world!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 9:21 p.m. lalaspequenos

Yay NaturalKids Team!!!! And yay to Woodmouse for such a great peek into her world:)

Dec. 5, 2008 at 11:04 p.m. mamakopp

Wonderful article. Way to go Woodmouse!!!

Dec. 5, 2008 at 11:17 p.m. anicastillo

she is so so SO pretty O_O

Dec. 6, 2008 at 1:58 a.m. pupa

what a wonderful profile :)
was v cool seeing how others create, thanks for the peek.

Dec. 6, 2008 at 2:26 a.m. whimdesign

The dmollison dolls are so adorable!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 2:38 a.m. littlecottageshop

A beautiful product and a beautiful and simple concept. Nicely done!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 5:27 a.m. woodmouse

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for your nice comments! Thanks especially to Tara who did such a rockin' job at filming and editing the piece, she can make anyone look awesome, I swear. :)

Dec. 6, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. dayanra

Great video! Love WoodMouse. But Isnt she from Wisconsin? not Minn.? (in the video she said WI)

Dec. 6, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. soduel

Many wonderful natural play options for our children can be found on etsy. And so nice to see so many creative people living right out my back door!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. germandolls

What a great video! Amber looks so sweet. Just as adorable as her toys!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. bethela

Amber! I just recently purchased your gorgeous Nativity scene and absolutely love it. All nice pieces are clearly made with love and care. I can't wait to put it under my tree this year. I don't have children but I am excited that not only does this Nativity look fantastic (my main motivation to buying it :)), but also when my neices and nephews they can play with the pieces without a problem.

Beth

Dec. 6, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. pennyspug

Great video. I love your concept and your work.

Dec. 6, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. 1canoe2

That was so sweet and wonderful! I love her work!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. FaerieRebecca

What a great video of Amber. I love getting a peek at other people's workshops/work spaces :)

Dec. 6, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. DawnAliceDesigns

Wonderful video! It is so great to see the process and hear about the toys from the maker. We have one of Amber's toys and we love it! Yay toymakers!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 1:12 p.m. southernbellesandbow

You did a wonderful job and even made me look back and remember some of the fun handmade toys my grandmother would send to us! I love seeing other artists and seeing/hearing their thoughts and workshops ;0) Beautiful job Amber!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. tlwoldc

What a great video! So inspirational. Keep up the great work. :)

Dec. 6, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. flashframe

I love it so much! Thanks for sharing, woodmouse!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 5:53 p.m. ageratum

Woodmouse - what a great name. Your idea is the best! Keep up the good work, kids need more toys like these! :) Donna

Dec. 6, 2008 at 6:15 p.m. TheBlackSpotBooks

soooooo lovely!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 6:19 p.m. jodieflowers

I love woodmouse! I adopted one of her robots! My son and I love him! Woodmouse Rocks!

Dec. 6, 2008 at 10:07 p.m. Lumpkin

great portrait. i love watching these. this one was especially fine

Dec. 6, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. sopsop88

I loved the video and concept of open ended toys

Dec. 7, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. JLMould

I am from Wisconsin too! I love the idea of her toys. Thank you for sharing!

Jessica Lynn

Dec. 7, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. birchleafdesigns

Such a lovely article and video! It is nice to peek into the windows of others' lives!

Dec. 7, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. haddy2dogs

Just so cool! Amber I love your work.

Dec. 7, 2008 at 4:47 p.m. LaCometaLab

Thanks for such a treat! I totally relate to woodmouse's philosophy and I also loved discovering not only her fantastically beautiful toys, but the Natural Kids Team. I will completely have their pieces in mind when buying a present to kids in the future.

Dec. 7, 2008 at 8:23 p.m. kimmiekuz12

I've just recently made my first two purchases from the woodmouse, and I'm so smitten with her work! I just watched this video, and I think it's so cool to know that I'm one of her many customers who don't have children. What a nice little peak into her world. Thanks!

Dec. 8, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. cozyblue

go woodmouse, go!
great video - thanks for sharing it.
i purchased a custom family several months ago, and it is one of my very favorite purchases of all time!

Dec. 8, 2008 at 1:37 p.m. soulyluna

A+wesome!!!!!!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 9:34 p.m. PoPkO

this was a gorgeous video, and very inspiring too. thank you for making it. ***but don't forget to wear your eye protection when you are using the saw and grinder ARGH! your eyes are very valuable!

Dec. 14, 2008 at 11:36 p.m. simplylovlee

Thank you so much for sharing your story and your process! So inspiring! Really cool toys!

Jan. 1, 2009 at 10:28 p.m. planetdestiny

Inspiring and kind...

Feb. 3, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. JeweledAmbrosia

what a beautiful video, thank you

Feb. 3, 2009 at 6:16 p.m. lisahopkins

I loved this video!

Feb. 3, 2009 at 6:20 p.m. CraftZany

Very cool! really enjoyed watching this!

Feb. 3, 2009 at 7 p.m. seababejewelry

What a beautiful story! Such great creations, love the Inuitt play set!

Feb. 4, 2009 at 9:26 a.m. modernbird

Amber, I loved seeing you speak about your process and ideas, you are wonderfully inspiring! Thank you, Laura

Feb. 4, 2009 at 11:09 a.m. pinkpurse

Just so charming!

Feb. 4, 2009 at 12:38 p.m. Sacheen

Amber is a wonderful seller with a top-notch product. She spoke so eloquently about why natural is best. Thanks for bringing us a glimpse into her life and art.

Feb. 4, 2009 at 4 p.m. cheekyboo

:)

Feb. 5, 2009 at 2:49 p.m. Schmutzerland

Aww I really loved this video! Its so sweet! And woodmouse is sooo cute! Aw great story! I love her work!

Feb. 6, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. museglass

that was awesome to watch! great behind the scenes glimpse. i love the toys and the purpose behind them!:)

Feb. 7, 2009 at 7:09 a.m. Alljazzedupboutique

A little bit of retro. I love the toys.

Feb. 7, 2009 at 5:22 p.m. signsofmylife

so sweet - so cute - so simple - so fun - so earth friendly - thank you woodmouse so much for your great products!

Feb. 8, 2009 at 11 p.m. KellesKitchen

I just say, this is one of the coolest Storque stories I've seen yet! I loved the video, thanks for sharing your creative process! We had a great set of colorful wooden blocks when I was younger - I love the idea of open ended toys! So true.

Feb. 9, 2009 at 7:22 p.m. ravenwren

Another amazing L.A. artist! I hope we can plan a big get together soon. I want to meet you all. <---------L.A. girl here!

Feb. 12, 2009 at 7:57 p.m. CountenanceJewelry

What a great story! The video was even more interesting because Amber is so articulate. Really enjoyed watching it and will be checking out her shop for purchases for my granddaughter.

Feb. 13, 2009 at 12:11 p.m. MissFiKingdom

I love the idea of open ended toys. Wooden toys are a great way to get way from the plastic in legos. I bet her workshop smells great... wood shavings and melted beeswax!

Feb. 14, 2009 at 3:51 a.m. BabbidgePatch

Wonderful!

Feb. 14, 2009 at 10:12 p.m. Owlshop

Classic toys where imagination is the central engine.

March 7, 2009 at 11:29 p.m. brianslittlegirl

woodmouse is so awesome!! :D I was lucky enough to be one of her early customers, and the two toys I bought from her for a little one I was nannying (and the set of ornaments I bought for myself) are still favorites, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. :)

Aug. 8, 2009 at 11:20 a.m. babook

The video it`s so good to knew a mama work !! Like it this video : )

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